Lamb stew with leeks and carrots

The results will be so tender, it will be worth the extra time. Avoid cuts with excessive fat or lamb stew with leeks and carrots fat that looks crumbly, brittle and yellowish: this means the meat is old. The colour and flavour of the flesh will vary depending on where the sheep were raised.

Rare breed lamb is farmed non-intensively. The meat is dark, closely textured and lean, and tastes like a cross between lamb and venison. You can buy named, pure-bred, rare breeds from speciality butchers, over the internet using specialist meat mail-order companies, or from farmers’ markets. Rare-breed meat costs a little more than commercial lamb, but the difference in flavour will be noticeable.

Always store meat in the coldest part – the bottom shelf – of the fridge. If the meat is in a cling-filmed tray, leave it in the packaging until ready for use. Quickly freezing lamb reduces the chance of damage to the texture or succulence of the meat. Both smaller pieces and large joints of lamb can be frozen. For ease of use, freeze cuts tightly wrapped in individual portions. Don’t freeze lamb for more than six months.

Large cuts of lamb are often covered in a white papery membrane that should be removed before cooking. Lamb works well with a range of flavours beyond the traditional mint sauce. Generally, the intense flavour of autumn lamb is a good match for equally strong seasonings and aromatics. Try rubbing it with spices such as cumin before roasting, or piercing the skin several times and inserting sprigs of rosemary and pieces of anchovy into it. Marinades also work wonders on lamb, helping enhance its flavour and making it meltingly tender.

Any cut of lamb can be braised or pot-roasted, and this method also works equally well for mutton. Stewed and braised lamb should be cooked gently in a liquid such as wine, stock or tomato juice. This method guarantees that the meat will stay moist and tender, and the cooking liquid can be served as gravy. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.